Electric switch.



' No. 693,995. Patented Feb. 25, I902.

T. H. BRADY. ELECTRIC SWITCH.

(Application filed Dec. 7, 19001 (No Model.)

4-9455. I BY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS H. BRADY, OF NEl/V BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 693,995, dated February 25, 1902.

Application filed December 7, 1900. Serial No. 39,097. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. BRADY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Britain, Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description, whereby anyone skilled in the art may make and use the same.

My invention is especially designed as an improvement on what are commonly known in the trade as knife-switches, but it will be seen that it is applicable to other varieties of switches as well.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the male member of a switch made according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the female member of a switch. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the members together. Fig. at is a side view of the same.

Referring to the drawings, A denotes the male member of a switch, having a base a and the contact-blades 1 2 offset from the edges of the base toward each other in order to make the blades more elastic. These blades preferably converge at their ends that they may more readily enter the female member. The female member B is of ordinary construction,- having the upper ends of the jaws 3 4 flared slightly to form a guide for the blades to insure them taking their proper position between said jaws, as at 5 6.

The essential feature of my invention is the spring-blade of the male member, made up,as shown in the drawings, of the two leaves 1 2.

This construction permits the blade, which is generally the movable member, to accommodate itself to any change of position of the socket or female member caused, forinstance, by the part being bent or slightly dislocated and insures a perfect contact between the members under almost any conditions, except the complete destruction of the parts. An

additional ad vantage derived by the use of my invention is the ease of operation both in making and breaking the contact which results from the use of the spring-blade. The ordinary switch of this class has a solid unyielding blade, which is Very easily bent, so that the parts do not register, thus rendering the switch practically useless, and it very often happens that when the blade is once in place itis almost, if not quite, impossible to disengage it from the jaws of the socket.

I am aware that the socket or female members have been made substantially similar to the one shown in the drawings, and I do not claim to be the inventor thereof; but as far as I am aware the construction of the male member is new, as is also itsuse with a socket, as shown. I intend to include herein any modifications of my invention altering the arrangement ,or number of parts or changing of the shape.

I claim as my invention 1. In a knife-switch, in combination, a male member having a broad base and inturned downwardly-converging spring members,and a coacting female member having a base and inturned upwardly-diverging spring meme THOMAS H. BRADY.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR W. UPSON, H. E. HART. 

